Cathy Donnelly

Cathy Donnelly's Blog

Community Supported Agriculture ROCKS!!!!

by Cathy Donnelly,posted Apr 5 2011 12:34PM

OK so you may have heard my rant on the air about Community Supported Agriculture. And you may wonder, what is it? Community Supported Agriculture, also known as "subscription farming" is a food system in which people pay to become members of a farm. In exchange for annual subscription fees (anywhere from $250 to $1,000, depending on how much you'll get and other factors) members get a weekly share of fresh, locally grown produce all season long. Members share the rewards and the risks of their farmers. If the eggplant crop is bounteous, you get a million eggplants. If all the tomatoes die (remember 2 years ago?), you get no tomatoes.
Once a week from the beginning of June to the end of October, members come to pick up their share. The closest one to me, Fertile Grounds, In Noxen, drops you share off at either the Lands at Hillside Farms in Shavertown, or in Downtown Wilkes Barre at the Farmers' Market on Thursday. Every week, each share includes 5-8 different crops, which vary depending on what's in season.
Why do this? It’s SOOOO obvious. You’re supporting your own community. You’re buying locally grown, organically produced food. It’s ultra fresh, often picked the day you receive it. The best part, in my opinion anyway, is that you get to know the person growing your food. You can take the kids to visit “their” farm where “their” vegetables come from. Maybe they’ll even eat ‘em!
Here’s a list of the ones in our listening area…call the one near you IMMEDIATELY and sign up! Some have animals, too
Fertile Grounds Noxen, Pa, rayann.fertile.grounds@gmail.com or 903-8669
Maddie's Spring Maple Farms 7999 State Route 3001 Meshoppen, PA 18630 833-5998
Turtle Mountain Farm…536 Thurston Hollow Road Tunkhannock (which is just off Keelersburg Rd, which is between Rt. 29 and 292) 836-5798 or http://icelandicsheepatturtlemountainfarm.com/
Chaos Acres 342 Carter Rd Laceyville , PA 18623 869-2631 www.facebook.com/chaosacres
Wild Lake Heirloom and Herb Co 16 Sechrist Ln Tunkhannock 18657 406-5931
Hopkins Farm River Road falls, PA 18615 388-2858
Skoloff Valley Farm 727.3046 1944 Stevens Point Rd Susquehanna, PA 18847, or they’ll bring it to The Essential Eating Farmers Market in Clarks Summit
The Funny Farm 2479 Bennett Rd Hop Bottom, PA 18824 434-2367
Confluence Farm 596 State Route 167 Hop Bottom, PA 18824
The Ant Hill Farm 1114 Beech Grove Rd Honesdale, PA 18431 . They’ll deliver for an extra $100…and the farmer’s name is Eusebius! Really! 253 5985
Yatsonsky Farm Market Owego turnpike Honesdale, 18431 488-5683 www.socantel.net/~yatson
Broken Fiddle Hawley, www.brokenfiddlefarm.com, Paupack Blueberry Farm 108 Berkley Rd Paupack, 18451 www.paupackblueberryfarm.com 226-9702
Reminiscent Gardens 99 Maple Ridge La. White Haven578-0170 or www.reminiscentgardens.comFive Mountain Farm (formerly Lent's Organics) 346 Baer Road Shickshinny, PA 18655 706-6887
Pine Cone Homestead, Long Pond, Pa www.pineconehomestead.com 851-1582
Blue Bell Farm 54 Bell Rd Wapwallopen, PA 18660 379-2688
Mad Dog Farm 81-B Church Road Bloomsburg, PA 17815 394-3634 maddogfarm.com
Greene Garden 546 W. Third St Bloomsburg, PA 17815 greene-garden.com 570-784-4172
I got most of this information from www.localharvest.org which lists, like, every CSA in the known universe.

Thank you for your support of CSA's in our region. I heard from a few friends and associates they heard you talking about Turtle Mountain Farm and that seemed to legitamize what I have been telling them. Please come see our operation ( and lambs) when you have the opporturnity. Thank you
John Gladys 836-5798